Only God could have planned it!

Wednesday this week was a Wonderful Wednesday! As it was no coincidence that one of our future daughters was hosted by a family through the New Horizons Winter program. This program places children in many different states from coast to coast although Atlanta is the hub. Of all places she could have landed it was just an hours drive from us. "L's" host family are an advocate family, not pursuing her for adoption and we were able to meet "L" and spend 3 hours with her. We went to Chuck E. Cheese for entertainment. Our little girl is energetic, sweet, fun-loving and tender-hearted. We discovered she has a ravenous appetite for her pint sized stature and she put down 3 slices of pizza to prove it. We discovered that she is a cheese only pizza girl. A piece of pinapple from the Hawaiian pizza fell onto her plate and I received it in my hand with an "eeww, yuk, what is this?" kind of look. We have some wonderful pictures to document our memories of the day , but I am sincerely sorry to have to say that I cannot post the pictures until we are in-country. Stay tuned for our travel dates which we should have in about 1 week.

Thank you Show Hope!

We received news today that we were awarded a grant. This brings us even closer to our first trip becoming a reality in just a few weeks.
$2,475.00 until we are fully funded for our first trip to bring home our two daughters. Donate by December 31st to get your charitable tax deduction for 2010.


Donations may be also made though Paypal by going to: http://www.gracehavenhome.com/11.html

Just click on the Paypal option and be sure to make a note in the comment box that states "preference to Wollschlager adoption". This will insure that the donation is made to our adoption funds.

Peace, love and joy in our Savior, Emmanuel!

Isaiah 9:6-7(6) For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (7) Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.


Luke 2:13-14And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, (14) “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”


We are grateful to be called His children!

See how we have grown

I have been asked for update pictures of our crew. If you scroll to the very bottom of the page you can see a slide show of how much they are changing and growing.

An Alleluia Kind of Day

As we continue to trust in God's timing for financial provisions to make our first trip we have seen little and large miracles along our journey. Unexpected surprises that only our heavenly Father could have orchestrated. Our hearts are full of gratitude and joy as we come closer to our goal that will permit our first trip to Latvia to bring home our daughters. We are now in need of $5,500.00 by the end of December to fully fund our first trip and meet all of the required fees and costs. We so appreciate the abundant prayers on our behalf that heaven has no doubt heard and responded to. Thank you to all of the friends and family and also those who remain anonymous angels for your generosity. We will share your love with our children so they will know how much they are cherished and precious in the eyes of our Lord.

We will keep everyone updated and as soon as we have our travel date we will post it here.

Joy in Christ Jesus,
Theresa

THANKSGIVING BLESSINGS

Today was an awesome day as we received our approval from USCIS to adopt two children. Now we can submit our dossier this week and we will wait for our invitation to travel to Latvia.

We also continue our fervent prayers for God's financial provisions to be able to complete the adoptions of our two future daughters. We trust He will provide somehow even though we cannot see how or know the details, we believe God is faithful.

Moving forward with gratitude and hope

Today we received a wonderful surprise in the mail that will enable us to submit our dossier to Latvia for translation. Now that we have met this week's goal for provision, we will set a new goal for our next step.

We must now concentrate on the big picture of raising the additional $25,000.00 to complete the process of bringing home our two little girls. We have budgeted very conservatively to determine our financial goal. We are more than happy to share the breakdown and detailed budget with anyone who is interested in knowing.
Please e-mail us privately at teamwollschlager@yahoo.com.

We are very grateful to Grace Haven Ministries who has committed to assisting us administer donations to our adoption fund. This way individuals who may be interested in helping us with this very large task, can obtain a tax receipt for any charitable contributions. To learn more about how you can help, please read our family fundraising letter and Grace Haven's Support Letter below.

November 13th , 2010

Mark and Theresa Wollschlager
2332 Targa Lane SW
Marietta, GA 30064
H:678-797-1974
Cell:678-314-7388
E-mail: teamwollschlager@yahoo.com

Dear Friends, Family and Community,

We are writing to you today with a special request on our hearts. We are in the process of adopting two precious little girls to add to our family. We know that God is calling us to take care of the orphans, and we are humbly asking if you will join us in this call to bring our little ones home.

Our future daughters are currently in Latvia in an orphanage. We have specifically identified one of the girls upon a referral from close friends who are working with the Latvian Ministry. This little one we affectionately refer to as “Sweetie Pie” since we will not be given her legal name until we are in country. “Sweetie Pie” was born with Achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism. She turned one in July and urgently needs a forever family to care for her and love her. Our second daughter has not been identified as of yet, but we know the Lord has a wonderful surprise in store. We are also open to our second daughter having special needs.

Will you join us in prayer for the protection of our little ones until we bring them home, and prayerfully consider contributing financially to help us meet the high cost of the adoption process? We have met all our goals thus far and received our USCIS Notice of Approval last week. Before we can travel for our first trip we must raise an additional $15,000.00. It is our desire to travel to Latvia the week after Christmas. Our trip will be delayed indefinetly unless we can raise these needed funds. We are working with a Christian adoption agency, All Blessings International http://www.allblessings.org/, to bring our children home. This first trip is one of three required trips to Latvia We will bring the girls home on the first trip and have legal guardianship of them. We will return to the country to finalize the adoptions after the New Year. Tax –deductible donations can be made to Grace Haven Ministries P.O. Box 956, Rogers, AR 72757. Please be sure to place the reference “Wollschlager family adoption” in the memo line of your check or money order. I have attached a letter of support from Grace Haven Ministires.

If you can help us financially or with your prayer support, we would be so grateful. If you have further questions or would like some details not expressed in this letter, feel free to contact us at home:678-797-1974; cell:678-314-7388 or e-mail us at teamwollschlager@yahoo.com.

Thank you for your love and assistance.
Joy in Christ Jesus,
Mark and Theresa

27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James1:27( NIV)








Dear church, family, and friends of Mark and Theresa,

Grace Haven Ministries (www.GraceHavenHome.com) is a Christ-centered, nonprofit organization dedicated to encouraging the body of Christ to actively extend their faith through adoption and orphan care. We are also committed to ministering to the needs of adoptive families by offering adoption grants, fundraising support, adoption conferences, post-adoption support groups, and ongoing prayer and encouragement.

We believe that adoption is more than just bridging the gap between needy children and waiting families. Adoption is a beautiful illustration of the gospel. Before we became Christians we were orphans, separated from our heavenly Father. But Jesus Christ paid the price for our redemption so that we could be adopted into God’s family. Galatians 4:4-6 says, “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”

We know that orphans and the fatherless hold a special place in God’s heart. Psalm 68:5-6 tells us that “a father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families." Not only are orphans close to the heart of God, but God has called for all of us to care for orphans. James 1:27 instructs us that “religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” There are many ways that we can care for orphans. Some are called to sponsor a child. Others are called to be a foster parent or mentor. Still others are called to adopt or to give financially to adoptive families. And some choose to do many of these things all at the same time!

In the book of Matthew, Jesus instructs us that “whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.” Jesus is constantly challenging us to move out of our comfort zone and love our neighbor as well as we love ourselves; to sacrifice our time, money, and resources for the benefit of others just as Christ sacrificed himself for us. He goes on to say that “whatever you did for one of the least of these…you did for me.” (Matthew 18:5, 22:39, 25:40)

Today there are an estimated 143 million orphans worldwide. Standing shoulder to shoulder there would be enough orphaned children to go around the world three times! That is a staggering number of children in desperate need of food, clean water, shelter, and families. It seems like such an impossible goal to care for that many children. On our own we may not be able to care for them all but we can start with one. In fact, if only 7% of those who claim to be Christ followers chose to adopt a child in need, Christians would care for all of the adoptable orphans in the world!

Mark and Theresa have decided to take Jesus’ words to heart and become one of those 7%. They have heard God’s call to care for orphans and the fatherless and have stepped out in faith and obedience to adopt two little girls with special needs and give the one thing that orphans around the world want more than anything else…a loving family.

As many of you know, adoption has a price. Whether it’s the price Christ paid for our redemption on Calvary or the price adoptive families pay to rescue children in need…adoption is expensive. This cost prevents many families from adopting. However, Mark and Theresa have decided to step out in faith believing that if they are obedient to God’s Word than he will be faithful to supply all their needs according to his riches in glory. (Philippians 4:19) Grace Haven Ministries is standing in faith alongside them, believing with them that God is going to do great and mighty things on their behalf. We invite you to be a part of God’s provision by sending a financial gift towards their adoption. Funds donated to Grace Haven Ministries will be given as an Adoption Grant to help pay for their adoption expenses. Your gift is tax-deductible and you will be given a receipt for tax purposes.

*100% of all funds raised will go directly to pay for adoption expenses. Nothing will be taken out to cover Grace Haven Ministries’ administrative costs.

Thank you for investing in the Kingdom of God through your prayer and financial support. Not only are you helping to give two little girls a loving home but you have made an investment that will reap an eternal return! God bless you for storing up your treasures in heaven.

For His Glory,
Leslie Hutsler
Grace Haven Ministries
Fundraising Support



For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21

What's next?

I have had more than just a few readers ask me when we are traveling and what is next in the process until Sweetie Pie and Sissy come home. We are just awaiting our I-800A to be processed and approved by USCIS. Then we will beable to travel at our earliest convenience for our first of three trips to Latvia. We are looking forward to this being before Thanksgiving.

My apologies to all of you dear friends who enjoy keeping up with our adventures via this Blog. I admit I have been absent from cyberspace for quite a while, but I have several great reasons..........Five boys, a husband, two beagles, homeschooling and two highschoolers on Fall varsity teams. Hopefully, I will be more attentive to this Blog when we travel.

Lots of Love,
Theresa

Mountains need moving

I would like to thank everyone who has been keeping our adoption process in prayer. We are moving right along with the process and hope to travel in the next 2-3 months. We are committing the entire cost of this adoption to prayer. We have now held 4 fundraisers and were blessed with volunteers to assist us with each.

Our greatest need still remains to raise a large amount in a short time as each stage of the adoption process requires funding. We are now in the most need of angel donors to partner with us to give these little girls a loving home and family to call their own. If you or someone you know would like to be an anonymous angel donor, please contact Kayron Paramore at Disability Connections, our non-profit sponsor. Karen will provide you with a tax voucher to use for your charitable giving. The number to Disability Connections is 478-741-1425. The address is 170 College Street. Macon, GA 31201. Please place "Wollschlager Adoption" in the memo line if you are using a check. Please pass the link to this Blog on to anyone you know that might be interested in helping.

YEAH!!!!!! We received our FBI clearance!!!

I am so impatient some days that it was making me slightly crazy to think of waiting until tomorrow to call the FBI again and find out if they would expedite our clearances. God knew that I could not wait and I really wonder how hard he was laughing when I was trying to convince my self two more days were not a big deal. Getting to the point....... I called the contact yesterday named "K" that I had befriended last Wednesday(it had at least been a full week that I contained myself). She happily announced that we had been cleared on July 30th and gave me the FedEx tracking number. "They should already be at the adoption agency", were comforting words to hear.

Next step, our home study will be written and delivered to us so we can send in our I-800A and get the next level of clearances and approval so that we may travel for our little girls.

Hurry up and wait!!!

In the wonderful world of International Adoptions, we have learned the expression "hurry up and wait" so well that we become skilled at it. I'm not sure this is a good thing. I much prefer the steady pace where we pray for wisdom and God's guidance at every step of this process. I find that when I do this, I am not so stressed out and everything happens in God's timing whether or not I have to hurry and complete a task or wait for results.

This week was a perfect example. I was feeling anxious about the fact that the FBI is taking excessivly long to process fingerprint cards, as long as 12-13 weeks(unless you live in one of those great states that also do Live Scan electronic transmission to the FBI) Georgia is not one of them, they only do Live Scan for the state clearance. After calling the Central Processing Center in Virginia twice in the last week and being told that we were not showing in the system yet, I was really not a happy camper. Our prints had been received according to my certified return receipt on June 24th, which means we have another 8 weeks/2 months to wait possibly. This means our homestudy will pend being complete until then and we would also have to wait to send in our I-800A to USCIS for their approval. I was determined I had to do something, so yesterday evening I started to Google my predicament (you know we are never alone in our circumstances) and yep, there was an entry by another couple living in Georgia waiting and waiting and frustrated. I think their's may have been a domestic adoption, but, you get the point. Apparantly, their social worker had suggested that they drive a couple of hours to Tennessee and have the Live Scan done to get the results back in 5-10 business days. There was not a follow-up post so I do not know if they did it and the end result, but it sure sounded like a great plan.

So this morning as soon as I could, I called the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to make sure there were no hoops for residents of other states to jump through. If we were going to pack up the boys and take a day trip to Chattanooga, it had to be a successful venture. Well, the scoop is that "they can no longer do this for non-residents." Sounds like there were many others trying to honestly beat this crazy system too and someone figured out that it might be too efficient for the government to handle. Seriously, who in the Georgia Department of Whatever, decided that transmitting fingerprints electronically to obtain both state and federal level clearance at the same time was not an incredibly amazing idea! For sure not an adoptive parent!

O.k., now that I have vented about how my plan did not work, here is how God's plan is superior as always...........Mk 11:22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23 “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.

God knows I am persistant, but I want only His will to be done. So I decided to call the FBI processing center one more time to see if I was missing something or if this 12 week thing was a done deal. I was connected with an agent I will call K. and I asked her if it did not make a difference any more that we wrote EXPEDITE/INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION on the front of our envelope. I shared with her that in 2007 when we adopted our three sons that this was the process and we got our results in 3 weeks as opposed to the 8 weeks that it was taking back then.

She then told me that it did not make a difference any longer. Then she paused and asked me if we had "waiting children". I said, "oh yes, we have two little girls that our waiting for their family to come get them." She asked me what country and took down all of our information along with the name and address of our homestudy adoption agency. She asked me if I had my tracking number from my certified mail receipt and I gave it to her. She told me the words that comforted my heart, "We will track your cards down and work on expediting the clearance" She told me I could call her next Friday to get an update and hopefully news that our results were being sent to our caseworker. What a wonderful plan, God's plan. Thanks be to God!

Applebees Flapjack Fundraiser

We had a wonderful time yesterday at our Flapjack Fundraiser. Thank you to all of our guests and the many of you who could not be present, but bought a ticket and donated to our adoption fund. I am always amazed by how God weaves every detail of life into a beautiful tapestry that contains different threads and colors for each of us, but when we come together in fellowship and share our common love for Him, all of our colors blend and match into a design we could have never created on our own.

We hope to schedule another Flapjack Event in October and hopefully will have had our first trip to Latvia to bring our new daughters home.

Psalm 37:7

I love God's word! I especially love it when He uses it to comfort us and speak to us at the times we need to hear His voice the most. I was sharing with a friend who asked what she could pray for specifically with regards to our adoption process and also the sale of our house that is currently on the market. After I gave her a detailed list, she said, "I have something I think God wants me to share with you."

She wrote on a bright orange post-it note the following scripture passage: "Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act."
Psalm 37:7

I do not always hear exactly what I would like to, especially when I am anxious for certain things to take place, but God always lovingly tells me what I need to hear. I am so grateful that I have a Father that knows me so well and provides exactly what I need at every moment and for each season of change.

I have treasured this little orange post-it with such wisdom and that comforts me and reminds me He is in charge of every detail.

Knowing that I am "In His presence", the waiting is not so hard, it is the "being still" part that I am working on.

Happy Fourth of July!!

We had a wonderful day yesterday at our 4th of July fundraiser. We had a booth at the Powder Springs 4th of July Celebration and it was our most attended event thus far. You may see some pictures by visiting our ministry Blog at



Now we are getting geared up for the Applebees Flapjack Fundraiser. Please send your ticket requests in for this event by July 14th as I must give a head count to Applebees by the 15th.

The breakfast is hearty and includes beverage of your choice.
Tickets are $7.50 each
There are two seatings 8-9:00am and 9:00-10:00am.
Please specify when requesting tickets which seating you would like to attend.

Patrons who attend the fundraiser will also want to have the "apple" on their ticket punched by their server to enjoy the added benefit of $5.oo off your next visit to Applebees. It's really a wonderful deal for everyone.

Our goal is to sell the maximum tickets allowed of 400. Please help us achieve our goal by inviting your family and friends to join us. As always you are free to pass the link to our Blog on.

To request tickets for this event please mail a check or money order payable to Theresa Wollschlager 2332 Targa Lane SW Marietta, GA 30064. Please include a phone number and/or e-mail so that I can confirm receipt of your order. I will send tickets promptly upon receipt of all requests received by the 14th.

Fundraiser Update

Thank you to everyone who came to the Baskin Robbins "Funraiser" and ate icecream to help us bring home Sissy and Sweetie Pie.

We will be facepainting at the Fourth of July celebration in downtown Powder Springs next Sunday to raise funds as well. I am in serious need of volunteers who can paint a simple design on a child's face. Please e-mail me if you can help. The greatest need is from 6-8pm.

Finally, we are pre-selling tickets to the Applebees Flapjack benefit on Saturday, July 17th. Please see details in my previous post or you can e-mail me to order tickets at t_wollschlager@yahoo.com

No doubt, we serve an Awesome God!

I was thinking about how grateful I am today for the many blessings we have experienced over the years. One of those blessings is the van the Lord clearly delivered to us from His majestic hands.


While we were still in Ukraine in 2007, I posted a prayer for a pretty essential need to our Blog. I reminded God again (like he needed to be - LOL) that we now had 9 members in our immediate family and one that is a kid on wheels. Our two daughters were grown and no longer living at home, but the vehicles that we owned could only accomodate 5 passengers, and definitely not a wheelchair. Of course, I had considered this little inconvenience before we left for Ukraine but figured that God had all of the details handled by now. Well as human nature would have it, I started to wonder about His timing. Within 24 hours of my posted prayer, God delivered. Our friends who had a van that had been purchased for their church ministries, offered us the van explaining that it had served its purpose for them.



Amazing Grace! Our loving Father not only made provision for our immediate need, but always considers His divine plan and the future needs that we cannot even imagine. Sure, God could have provided us with a van just large enough for our immediate need, but He knows our future. Although we did not know nearly 3 years ago that we would be going to Latvia in 2010, to bring home two more children, we were given a vehicle that would accomodate a growing family. He gave us this....




a 15 passenger van, affectionately dubbed numerous titles including; "the bus", "the daycare van", mom's tour bus", "the team bus" ...

Applebees Flapjack Fundraiser

We are currently selling tickets to our flapjack breakfast fundraiser. It will be held on Saturday, July 17th at the Applebees on Dallas Hwy @ Barrett Pkwy. in Marietta.

The breakfast is hearty and includes beverage of your choice.
Tickets are $7.50 each
There are two seatings 8-9:00am and 9:00-10:00am.
Please specify when requesting tickets which seating you would like.

Patrons who attend the fundraiser will also want to have the "apple" on their ticket punched by their server to enjoy the added benefit of $5.oo off your next visit to Applebees. It's really a wonderful deal for everyone.

Our goal is to sell the maximum tickets allowed of 400. Please help us achieve our goal.

To request tickets send your check or money order made payable to:

Theresa Wollschlager
2332 Targa Lane SW
Marietta, GA 30064

Sissy and Sweetie Pie

Until we are in Latvia and have guardianship of the girls, I will use nicknames when referring to them. In compliance with the laws of Latvia and the Hague Convention, I will not be posting any photos of them until we are in country as well. I know it creates a little suspense for some of our Blog followers, but we did not get to see our birth children until they were born either.

Thank you's are neccessary

We do so appreciate all of you who have donated water for the upcoming tennis tournament fundraiser. We also understand that many of you are praying for us during this adoption process. Your prayers do make a powerful difference. Please know that you are part of the body of Christ helping to bring our new daughters home. We will delight in sharing stories about all of the family and friends who acted in love to bring them home.

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27

Upcoming Fundraisers

What: Junior Tennis Tounament
When: June 21st-23rd
Where: Lost Mountain Tennis Center
4845 Dallas Highway
Powder Springs , GA 30127
**Still Needed: Bottled Water and Coolers
** I will post a notice when our bottled water supply is met.


What: Icecream "Funraiser"
When: Thursday, June 24th 3-8pm
Where: Baskin Robbins
4150 Macland Rd
Ste 235
Powder Springs, GA 30127


What: Children's Face Painting Booth-4th of July Celebration
When: July 4th
Where: Powder Springs , GA

What:Flapjack Fundraiser
When: Saturday, July 17th
Time: 8-10am
Where: Applebees
2404 Dallas Highway
Marietta, GA 30064
Tickets $7.50 per person
Includes choice of beverage
To order tickets e-mail t_wollschlager@yahoo.com

Our destination............Latvia

IT'S A GIRLSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

We are happy to announce that we are "expecting" a little sister (or two) this time around. Our travels will take us to a new country, rich in culture. We look forward to sharing our steps as we proceed with our dossier.

We are confident that it is God's will for us to move forward without further delay. We have scheduled Fundraisers for June and July to assist us in raising our adoption funds. We know that God is faithful and although we are not certain of how each dollar will be raised to give His children a forever family and us the privilege of growing our family tree, we are committed to doing whatever is asked of us to accomplish His will. Please feel free to e-mail me privately if you have any ideas or suggestions for fundraising. Our expenses will be in the range of $25,000.00. I will be adding a breakdown list for each item, should any "Angels" wish to help.

I am so grateful for the generosity of those who have already begun to help with fundraisers. In my zeal, I ask for forgiveness in advance since you may see many E-Vite's come your way or Facebook announcements. Please do not feel it necessary to respond to each one unless you are lead to. I am not expecting it, but I am filled with anticipation that God's provisions are entirely larger than my little mind can wrap around.

Adventure

For all of you reading our new Blog that had followed us on our first "Wollschlager Adoption Adventure", I want to take a moment to let you know that we have not gone "crazy" and, yes, we do know exactly what we are about to endeavor... an adventure. Most of you understand the call to an adventure. After all, the first Adventure is still in process as we raise our children to grow in love for our Lord. We continue to pray that the many mistakes we make along the way will be redeemed and used for God's Glory above all.

As for the very few that come across this Blog that have not taken the chance to expand their heart and grow in love, we continue to hope that one day you will do so. Of course we are all called to our own unique adventures. For us, it is to grow our family and cherish life through the gift of adoption. Whatever your adventures are, please share them with us and we will only celebrate with you as you proceed despite the risks.

Definitions of Adventure- Noun:1 a : an undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks b : the encountering of risks
2 : an exciting or remarkable experience
3 : an enterprise involving financial risk

Jesus also has promised us that He will not leave us as orphans: John 15 "If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be [c] in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Why then, would we not we not follow His example?


If reading about what God has called us to as a couple and family in anyway causes you to fear for us or feel the need to criticize our decisions, there is no need for you to worry. We have prayed long and hard and the Holy Spirit has covered us in grace and wisdom. If you have the urge to call us in an effort to talk us out of the adventure, sorry, it's too late!